Assessing and adopting social safeguards in all planned programs (AASSAPP)

‘Social safeguards’ are procedures that ensure that projects take into consideration people’s rights,
aspirations and the ‘do no harm’ principle. The concept of ‘safeguards’ encompasses free, prior and
informed consent; participation; resolution of land conflict; clarifying land and natural resource
use-rights; livelihoods and food security; and poverty alleviation. Free, prior and informed consent as
part of social safeguards is defined as protecting the right of local and indigenous communities to
negotiate the terms of externally imposed policies and projects. This applies to ‘development’ as well
as to ‘conservation’ projects.